Adjustable-current reciprocating-engine system



(No Modl.)

C. J. VAN DEPOELE. ADJUSTABLE CURRENT EEGIPROGATINGENGTNE SYSTEM.

No. 436,276. Patented Sept. 9.1890.`

mim [Enum UNITED STATES rPATENT TOFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE-CURRENT REClPROCA/TING-ENGINE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,276, dated September 9, 1890.

Application filed May 14, 1890. Serial No. 351,721. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adj ustable-Current Reciprocating-Engine Systems, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a system of distributing pulsating or rising and falling-currents alternately to a plurality of workingcircuits; and a special feature of the invention consists in 1n eans for varying the current in the said circuits-that is to say, for sending impulses of greater power to one circuit than to the other and for varying the dierence in power as desired. The currents themselves are desirably continuous in character,

land by my present invention may be obtained from any continuous current circuit, the means hereinafter described imparting to the said continuous current the rising and falling character required for the operation of reciprocating electric engines of the type shown and described in my Patents Nos. L100,801 and 401,235.

As a means of varying the current supplied to the motor-coils and causing it to rise and fall therein, I employ the counter electro-motive force of a group of chemical elements, which may be primary or secondary batteries, the combinations of said elements with the working-circuits being constantly varied to produce the desired effects. By employing such means I am enabled to utilize for this work and to secure effective service from a source of continuous current which would ordinarily be insufficient to operate the engines, and this lparticular result is produced by employing secondary batteries sufficient in Vnumber or capacity to store current between impulses or during the time the machines are at rest and to supply the workingcircuits when required. These features of the present application are not herein broadly claimed, since they form the subject-matter of a prior application filed April 9, 1890, Serial No. 847,231; but I find it desirable in many instances to be able to impart to the current in one coil a preponderance in strength, so as to give to the magnetic piston of the reciprocating engine a more powerful impulse in one direction than in the other, and this feature of the invention is herein broadly claimed, and, together with the various details required for practical use, will be hereinafter fully described', and set forth and referred to in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of an organization of parts embodying the invention.

As indicated in the drawing, continuous current is supplied from any available source through conductors 1 2, and the said supplyconductors are connected through branch conductors 1 2fL to the outside terminals of motorcoils A B, which maybe employed to actuate the magnetic piston of a reciprocating engine. An intermediate conductor C is connected to the inner ends of both the coils A B'.l

A series of chemical elements'wC C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C1 C10 C11 C12 C13 are connectedbetween the main supply-conductors l 2 through branch conductors F G. The said elements are connected in series, and from each one of them extends a conductor connecting the same with an insulated contact, the contacts D to D13 each, therefore, representing one of the elements, or where aplurality of elements are arranged to form a single unit each contact will represent one of the units, however constituted. A movable `contact device E is arranged to be moved back and forth over the contacts D to D13, and the intermediate conductor C is connected to the traveling contact E through the conductors M and H. The elements interposed between the supplyconductors 1 2 may vary greatly as to size,

number, and construction, as stated in my tact-arm, as shown, is an ordinary bell-crank, and is centrally pivoted at a with respect to a circle, half of which is formed by the segments D to D13. To the free end of said arm at a is pivotally attached the connecting-rod b, which is pivotally attached at its opposite end to the sliding block c, moving in the slot Z of the link k. The pivot c and rod l) are held in any desired relation to the link 7c by the rod r, adjustably supported by the sleeve s. The link lr, is pivotally supported at m by a stationary bracket m. The slot l in the link 7c extends beyond the pivot c far enough to allow free play when the gear-wheel g is rotated. A second connecting-rod b2 is attached to a pin e upon a lug d on the lower side of the swinging end of the link 7n. The opposite end of the connecting-rod b2 is attached to a crank-pin e upon the gear-wheel g, which may be rotated by the pinion i or directly from any suitable source of power. To the pin c, which engages the rod b, is at- .tached a rod r, which is loosely engaged by the pivoted sleeve s and adapted to be held firmly at any desired position by the set-screw s', attached to said sleeve. The sleeve s is mounted upon the stationary plate-bracket n. The rod r is provided with a handle n".

With the apparatus in the position shown current will flow from conductor 1, through branch conductor F, arm E, and conductors H M C, to coil B, and out through branch conductor 2 to 2, which represents the negative side of main circuit. The conductors F llbeing both of practically the same resistance, no current will flow throughjj to core J, and it will remain inactive until the contact E has passed the contact D7. The current, however, will fall in the coil Bin proportion as the resistances C to C7 are put in circuit, and will be in equilibrium when the contact E passes to D8. As the resistances D8 to D1s are successively cut out, the current will rise in coil A while falling in coil B, and reaching its maximum in coil A when the contact E reaches the segment D13, there being then no resistance in circuit therewith. Vith the contactE upon any of the segments DS to D13, current will How from conductor 1, through la, coil A, conductors C M H, and contact-arm E, through whatever resistances are at the'time y in circuit between the contact and segment y D13, and thence through conductorG to negative main 2. At the same time current will iiow from conductor 1, through F to h j', coil J, conductorj to h, to conductor l-l, contact E, resistances D8 to D13, and through branch conductor Gr to main return 2, thus placing the coil J in multiple arc with the coil A of reciprocating engine I.

By the use of the adjusting mechanism shown the throw of the contactarm E maybe varied. For example, if the rod r be thrust forward in the sleeve s the sliding block and pivot c will be nearer to the point of sup- -port of the link k, thus reducing the radius of the arc of the circle described bythe pivot o', the stroke of the rod l) therefore being shorter, and in consequence the throw of the arm and contact E from D8 to D13 will be restricted. With the link in the position shown the throw of the contact-arm will be normalthat is, from D to D13; but as the sliding block and pivot c is moved toward the support m more resistance will be left in the circuit, thus restraining the flow of current to the coils A and J without affecting that in coil B. A similar construction may be applied to influence the current in its opposite phase, and it will be readily understood that the force of the solenoid or solenoids may be changed at will, or the up or down stroke, where more than one coil is used in the same machine, maybe given the preponderance of power.

It will be understood that where it is desired to use primary or secondary 4batteries independently the connections will be made directly from such batteries to the translating devices. Where secondary batteries are used it is of course necessary to connect them into a suitable charging-circuit.

I-laving described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a system of distributing pulsating currents, a circuit including a number of chemical elements, a sectional commutator for the said elements, a moving contact upon said commutator, means for varying the travel of said contact across all or a part of the segments thereof, and an intermediate conductor between the main conductors of the said circuit, said intermediate conductor connected to the moving contact.

2. In asystem of distributing pulsating currents, a source of continuous current spanning a number of chemical elements, a sectional commutatorforthesuccessive elements, a moving contact upon said commutator, means for varying the travel of said Contact across all or a part of the segments thereof, working-circuits spanning the elements, and an intermediate circuit between the Workin gcircuits connected to the moving contact.

3. In a system of distributing pulsating or rising and falling currents, an electro-chcmical electro-motive-force device having xed terminals of opposing polarity, the successive elements connected to a sectional commutator, a moving contact upon said commutator, means for varying the travel thereof, and Working-circuits in electrical connection between the fixed terminalsand the moving contact device.

4. In a system of distributing pulsatingcurrents, a constant-current supply energizing a set ot' electro-chemical elements, a sectional commutator having its sections connected to corresponding sections of the elements, and a moving contact device having a variable travel between the points of maximum and minimum electro-motive force of the combined elements, means for varying the travel IOC IIC)

of the moving contact, and Working-circuits connected between the fixed terminals of the elements and the traveling contact.

5. In a system of distributing pulsating currents, the combination, with a suitable source of continuous current, of a group of chemical elements spanning the supply-conductors, two working-circuits having their outer terminals connected with the supply-conductors, a series of contacts connected to and representing the units of the group of elements, an intermediate circuit connected to the inner terminals of the Working-circuits and to a contact device engaging the segments, and means for moving the contact device upon said segment and imparting thereto a changeable motion to vary the electro-motive force of the portion of the group in circuit between either one of the supply-conductors and the intermediate conductor.

6. In a system of distributing pulsating currents of unequal force, the combination, with a constant-current supply, of a number of chemical elements spanning the supply-con duotors, a sectional commutator representing the elements, Working-circuits spanning said elements, an intermediate circuit between the latter, a movable contact representing the intermediate circuit, mechanism for operating the movable contact, and means, substantially as described, for varying the travel 

